Liquid dispensing machine



Dec. 24-, 1957 I R 2,817,461

LIQUID DISPENSING MACHINE Filed March 11, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTOR. P/M fi/ABEQTV BY Dec. 24, 1957 I P. F..GILBERTY 2,817,461

LIQUID DISPENSING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 11, 1953 IN V EN TOR. PAM f 6/4 552W BY Dec. 24, 1957 P. F. GILBERTY ,4

' LIQUID DISPENSING MACHINE Filed March 11, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN I OR. 641/4 f 6/155? Dec. 24, 1957 elLBERTY $817,461

LIQUID DISPENSING MACHINE Filed March 11, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I v55 56 54 55" 5 .4 7 a 1111: JNVENTORQ E United States Patent ()fiice LIQUID DISPENSING MACHINE Paul F. Gilberty, Roslyn Heights, N. Y., assignor to Dairymat Corporation, Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 11, 1953, Serial No. 341,657 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-207) The present invention concerns a machine for filling containers with a liquid, and refers more particularly to such a machine for filling individual cream containers for restaurant use, and to a type of container for use with the machine.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a machine for rapidly filling and sealing under sanitary conditions a large number of disposable containers with a liquid such as cream, or with a semi-solid such as ice cream.

Another object is the provision of containers for use with said machine, said containers being so packaged as to provide maximum speed and ease of handling during filling, and economy and ease of handling.

In accomplishing the objects of the present invention there is provided a cardboard carton in which ten strips of containers are stacked one on top of the other, each strip having ten containers connected side by side in a single line.

The carton is placed in the machine, which moves the lowermost strip of containers laterally to filling position below ten flexible vertically disposed tubes spaced in a line so that each tube is over a container.

The tubes are fed by gravity from a hopper. A metal plate moving laterally against tubes closes their lower ends, and a similar plate similarly actuated subsequently closes their upper ends. The lower plate is then withdrawn and a third plate, while the second is still in closed position, moves in to flatten the tubes along substantially their entire length, thus discharging the contents into the containers.

A strip of paper coated with a substance suitable when heated for sealing the container, is in a roll on the machine and led through a heater comprising contact surfaces which resist adhesion by the sealing material. The forward end of this sealing strip is placed in contactwith the forward container of the container strip, and. as the machine advances the container strip away from filling and toward sealing position, a length of the sealing strip is thereby pulled into overlying position relative to the containers by the forward motion of the containers.

At the sealing station the machine simultaneously applies pressure to complete the sealing and partially severs by perforating the containers one from the other while maintaining their identical in-line relation. They may thus easily be packed in the same relative position in an identical carton to the one in which they were supplied.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter described. In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention:

. Figure 1 is a front elevation of my machine and container package.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. r

2,8 l 7,46 l Patented Dec. 24, 1957 Figure 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the rocker mechanism for the shifting fingers.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of a container and the transport channel of the machine.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 shows the same parts in a difierent position.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, a rectangular tubular cardboard carton 10 is provided at top and bottom with end portions 10A terminating in tuck in flaps 10B. Carton 10 contains ten vertically superposed container strips 11, each strip 11 comprising a single row of ten integrally connected container units 12 in side by side relation. The units 12 may be made of paper and coated with wax or other substance capable of forming a seal when heated, or the units may be made entirely from some synthetic plastic substance possessing sealing characteristics when heated. As indicated in the drawing, the body of the unit 12' is a container open at the top and very slightly tapered inwardly toward the bottom.

The carton 10 is held in position on the dispensing machine 13 in a position slightly inclined from vertical, so as to function as a magazine which feeds the strips 11 out of its opened bottom by gravity at the unloading station below carton 10. The holding means is illustrated as a pair of shallow channels 10C mounted on the table 15, into which carton 10 may be slid, and comprising fingers ltlD to hold the flaps MB.

The machine 13 comprises the frame 14 of generally rectangular formation, frame 14 comprising the table 15 on which all the operative elements are mounted, and below which and suspended therefrom are mounted the actuating means for the various elements.

Said actuating means includes the electric motor 16 conventionally connected to a speed reducer and driving a flywheel 17 and a shaft 18 on which are mounted five camwheels 19, 2t), 21, 22 and 23.

Flywheel 17 is provided with a crankpin 24 at the end of which is a ball 25 enclosed in the almost spherical housing 26 carried at the upper end of the connecting rod 27, at the lower end of which is a similar housing 28 surroundingly engaging the short arm 29 of the bell crank lever 30 which is mounted on the pivot shaft 31 and the longer arm 32 thereof slides in the sleeve 33, the latter being pivotally connected to the shuttle bar 34 which is mounted in bearings 35 for longitudinal sliding motion relative to table 15. Rotation of flywheel 17 thus produces up and down motion of arm 29 and resulting in reciprocation of shuttle bar 34 longitudinally of table 15.

Mounted for partial rotation on shuttle bar 34 as indicated in Figure 4 and fixed against axial motion relative thereto is the sleeve 36 with which are integral the transporting fingers 37 and the ears 38 defining a channel 39 for the arm 40 of the bell crank lever 41 pivoted on the shaft 42, the lower arm 43 of. which is actuated to the right of Figure 4 by the cam 19 and returning under the influence of the coil spring 44. The rocking motion thus produced places the transporting fingers 37 in vertical, operative, position during the forward travel of the shuttle bar 34, that is, to the right in Figure 1, and in the inclined inoperative position on the return stroke of the shuttle bar.

Nine elevator blades 46 are connected by pivots 47 to levers 48 mounted on the fulcrum rod 49, each lever 48 further being under the influence of a tension coil spring 50 connected to its lower end. Spring 50 maintains roller 51 of lever 48 in following engagement with cam wheel 20. The shaft 18 of the cams being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine 13, rotation of cam 20 imparts a lateral reciprocation to the blades 46, said blades further sliding on the rest rod 52, and having a bottom inclined surface 53 by which they are caused to elevate as they move to the right of Figure 2.

The trough 54 is defined by two parallel Z angle irons 55 which extend longitudinally of the machine 13, and the upper flange 56 of the container units 12 rides on the irons 55, it being notable that only the under surface of flange 56' engages the irons.

Due to the extremely slight taper of the units 2, the units of the superposed strips will tend to nest by gravity, but only to a small extent. The elevator blades 46 are fiat and in their extended or rightmost position in Figure 2 are positioned between the units 12 of the strip 11. In reaching said position the point 57 of the blade, which is substantially below the top surface 58 thereof, has been able to enter freely beneath the upper flat portion 59 connecting together the respective units 12 of the strip 11, the inclined surface 60 then raising the strip 11 free of the strip below it and in which it may have nested, so that the lower strip is free to advance.

The cycle of operation of shuttle bar 34 is preferably four seconds. On the forward stroke, with the fingers 37 in vertical position as illustrated in Figure 4, the strip 11 is advanced bodily from its position in trough 54 below carton to filling position below the cream hopper 61.

Hopper 61 has a cover 62 hinged at 63 and provided with a handle 64. Ten spouts 65 with terminal flanges 66 are connected to hopper 61 at its low point and in communication with the interior thereof for gravity feed of liquid to the spouts. Ten flexible, compressible tubes 67 are connected to the spouts 65, extending downwardly therefrom. The tubes 67 are made of any flexible, cornpressible moldable material suitable for sanitary use and Will be discarded at the end of a days use. The lower end portion 67A of tube 67 is normally closed but may be forced open by the pressure of the contents of the tube.

A vertical standard 68 mounted on table is engaged by a split bushing 69 with a locking handle 70 and constituting a mount for the pressure plate 71. The filler tube end support plate 72 extends at right angles to pressure plate 71, being supported therefrom and being formed with ten holes through which the lower end portions 67A of tubes 67 extend.

The valve plates 73, 74, 75 are supported on rods 76, 77, 78, respectively, the latter being pivotally connected to the vertical link members 79, 80, 81 mounted on the rod 82. Rods 76, 77, 78 are actuated for horizontal reciprocation by the levers 83, 84, 85 operating as cam followers relative to earns 21, 22, 23 respectively.

In each cycle of operation of machine 13, rod 76 is moved to the right of Figure 3, whereby valve plate '73 compresses the ten tubes 67 to close them at their bottom ends. The remainder of the tubes being in open communication with hopper 61 will fill with cream by gravity. Rod 78 next moves right to move valve plate 75 into compressing, therefore closing, relation to the top portion of tubes 67, and a predetermined amount of liquid is thereby enclosed in the tubes between the plates 73, 75. Plate 73 is then withdrawn and plate 74 moves against tubes 46 to compress substantially their entire length, thereby evacuating the contents into the containers 12. The plates 74, 75 are finally retracted and the cycle is then complete. As part of the next cycle the strip 11 of filled containers is then moved by fingers 37 to the sealing station while another strip 11 is moved into the filling station below hopper 61. Because the lower portions 67A are normally closed the tubes 67 will not drip and evacuation is confined to the intended portion of the cycle.

The open construction of the means for compressing the tubes 67, namely the ready removability of pressure plate 71 and consequent access to valve plates 73, 74, 75,

rods 76, 77, 78, links 79, 80, 81 and levers 83, 84, 85, and the mere pivotal interconnection of the rods, links and levers, renders this portion of the apparatus easy to clean by a steam hose.

The trough 54 extends below the carton 10 and hopper 61, and the swing channels 86 extend in longitudinal prolongation of trough 54 at the sealing station 87. Channels 86 are mounted on the pivot shafts 88 and are provided with the cam arms 89 extending perpendicularly outwardly therefrom and formed with the cam slots 90.

A roll 91 of paper is coated with a wax or other plastic substance capable of forming a seal with the containers 12 when heated. Alternatively the roll 91 may consist of a sheet of plastic material having the described sealing characteristics. The sheet 92 is led between heater elements 93, the surface of said elements being such as to resist adhesion by the heated sheet 92.

As sheet 92 passes under roller 94, it is brought into contact with the advancing strip 11 and adheres thereto, such adhesion providing the connection by which the forward motion of strip 11 advances sheet 92 from roll 91.

A further heater element 95, also provided with adhesion resisting face material 96, extends the length of the sealing station 87. When strip 11 is in longitudinal coincidence with heater 95, the sealing bars 97, actuated by conventional connection with cam 22, rise vertically as shown in Figure 7. The cam standards 98 mounted on bars 97 and operating in slots 90, displace the swing channels 86 and bars 97 engage the flanges 56 of containers 12 and press upwardly, whereby the soft strip 92 is sealed to strip 11 by the heat and pressure between heater and bars 97. Simultaneously or immediately thereafter, the containers 12 are partially severed one from the other by conventional perforating cutters actuated by cam 23. Strip 11 is then advanced by shuttle bar 34 to the loading station 99, riding in a trough 100 similar to trough 54.

The perforated strips 11 are then loaded into cartons 10 similar to those in which they were supplied, and the cartons 10 provide compact and sanitary means by which the liquid may be refrigerated until it is to be used.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use. As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a dispenser for liquids, a hopper, a table supporting said hopper, a plurality of cams mounted on said table, means actuating said cams, a compressible tube connected to said hopper and located therebelow and having an opening at its lower end, a plate mounted on said table for substantially horizontal movement against said tube thereby to compress and close the same adjacent its lower end, a second plate similarly mounted and moving against said tube adjacent its upper end subsequent to the closing of said tube by said first plate, a third plate similarly mounted and moving against said tube substantially throughout the length thereof between said two plates immediately thereafter and said first plate being simultaneously retracted, said plates being actuated by said cams, a vertically disposed pressure plate located on the far side of said tube from said three plates and pro.- viding a surface against which said tube is compressed by said three plates three substantially vertically extending levers engaging said cams and constituting cam followers, three substantially vertically extending link members located adjacent said tube, and three substantially horizontally extending rods each of said rods being connected to one of said levers and to one of said links, and each of said three first mentioned plates being mounted on one of said horizontally extending rods for movement therewith against and away from said tube.

2. In a dispenser according to claim 1, a standard mounted on said table, and a split bushing and locking handle mounted on said pressure plate and engaging said standard to provide removable mounting of said pressure plate.

3. In a liquid dispensing device of the type comprising a hopper having a spout at its lower end, a compressible tube connected to said spout and extending downwardly therefrom and having its bottom end open, the improvement comprising a single stationary, vertically disposed pressure plate extending along a side of said tube and in close parallel proximity thereto, a first means moving perpendicularly against said tube and plate at the lower end of said tube so as to compress said lower end against said plate and so close said lower end, a second means moving perpendicularly against said tube and plate at the upper end of said tube so as to compress said upper end against said plate and so close said upper end and entrap in said tube a predetermined amount of liquor from said hopper, a third means moving perpendicularly against said tube and plate and compressing substantially the entire length of said tube between said first and second mentioned moving means against said plate so as to evacuate the contents thereof through said bottom end, said first mentioned means having retracted so as to open said bottom end, means actuating said three moving means in the described sequence, and means mounting said pressure plate in position and providing quick detachability of said pressure plate for access to said tube and to said three moving means.

4. In a liquid dispensing device of the type comprising a hopper having a spout at its lower end, a compressible tube connected to said spout and extending downwardly therefrom and having its bottom end open, a single, stationary, vertically disposed pressure plate extending along a side of said tube and in close parallel proximity thereto, a first means moving perpendicularly against said tube and plate at the lower end of said tube so as to compress said lower end against said plate and so close said lower end, a second means moving perpendicularly against said tube and plate at the upper end of said tube so as to compress said upper end against said plate and so close said upper end and entrap in said tube a predetermined amount of liquid from said hopper, a third means moving perpendicularly against said tube and plate and compressing substantially the entire length of said tube between said first and second mentioned means against said plate so as to evacuate the contents thereof through said bottom end, said first mentioned means having retracted so as to open said bottom end, and means actuating said three moving means in the described sequence, the improvement comprising means mounting said pressure plate in position and providing quick detachability of said pressure plate for access to said tube and to said three moving means.

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